


Intimate

by TheTurtleFromHell



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hair Braiding, Healing, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:42:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23125696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTurtleFromHell/pseuds/TheTurtleFromHell
Summary: Hector longs to be intimate with Isaac, but doesn't know how with everything he's been through. Isaac decides to show him.
Relationships: Hector/Isaac Laforeze
Comments: 16
Kudos: 155





	1. Chapter 1

The fire popped and crackled next to them, bathing their naked bodies in its warm, gentle glow. They laid in a nest of blankets and pillows they had found across the abandoned house, clothes lying forgotten in a trail leading up to the nest.

Hector kissed his neck as he straddled his waist, grinding against his thigh. Isaac smoothed his hands down his sides, stopping to cup his ass. Hector gasped and smirked, leaning down to tug at his ear with gentle teeth.

“Hector…” he breathed, shutting his eyes. Hector kisses him, hard and passionate as he shifts so that their cocks are pressed one another. He starts a steady rhythm, moaning as their precum smears and slicks them up, making it feel just that much more wonderful.Isaac normally hated warmth, he hated sweat and how sticky it made him feel. But this, he liked this.

He was just about to reach for the vial of oil when suddenly, he felt something wet drop on his cheek. Confused, he opened his eyes to be met with the sight of tears, running down Hector’s cheeks.

“Hector?” he gasped, sitting up as worry filled his chest, “Hector what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Hector insisted, “Keep going.”

“No,” he said, gently pushing him off his lap. 

Hector’s face suddenly became a mix of hurt and anger, “Why?” he demanded, as if he needed an explanation.

“Why?” he echoed incredulously, “Hector, look at yourself, you’re clearly not alright with this!”

“Yes I am!” he persisted, hands fisting in the blankets as his voice wavered, “Please just, just let me do this!”

Isaac sighed, smoothing a hand over his head “I’m not going to let you force yourself to do this, Hector. It’s okay if you don’t want-”

“I want this Isaac, please it’s not okay!” he cried out, choking on a sob, “Because if I can’t do this it means she’s broken me!”

Oh… so that was it.

His gaze softened as he watched head drop his head, holding himself as he sobbed behind a curtain of silver hair. For a moment, it was the only noise that echoed in the small room

“Please…” he whimpered, “I’m not damaged… I’m not, I’m not, please-”

“Hector,” he says, gently lifting his chin, “Would you like for me to show you another way to be intimate?”

Hector blinked, raising a hand to wipe at his face. He nodded after a moment, “Please…”

“Alright,” Isaac said, reaching over to grab his bag, “Sit with your back towards me.”

Hector quickly obliged, a shiver running up his spine (was it with anticipation or fear? He could no longer tell.). He internally screamed at himself. No, Lenore was not going to ruin this for him, he wasn’t going to let himself be controlled by those memories of her cold hands pinning him down and whispering  _ ‘good boy _ ’ in his ear, damn it don’t cry again,  _ don’tcrydon’tcrydon’tcrydon’t- _

He flinched as Isaac’s hand laid on his shoulder, and… was that a hairbrush in his hair?

He looked back at the man in surprise, glancing between him and the comb, “What are you doing?”

“Braiding your hair.” he says matter of factly, as if it wasn’t an odd thing to suddenly do at the moment. Hector looked at him for a moment, before turning back around. Isaac smiled, scooting forward and continuing to carefully comb out the knots and tangled.

“... you know, this wasn’t what I thought you meant.” he said, voice barely above a whisper.

“How much do you know about Abrahamic religion?” Isaac asked.

“Um… not much.” he replied after a moment, dumbfounded by the seemingly out of nowhere question, “Why?”

“There is a story of one of Jesus’ miracles, when he raised the dead man Lazarus. The sister of Lazarus, Mary, was so thankful to Jesus that she washed his feet with her own hair and her most expensive vial of oil.” he explained as he parted the silver locks into three sections, pausing to make sure they were even.

Hector considered the information for a moment, picking at his nails idly, “... are you trying to tell me you have a foot fetish?”

Isaac snorted with laughter, laughing so hard that Hector began to laugh too, though he had no idea why.

“No, no Hector,” he breathed as he finally caught his breath. He began again dividing the hair into sections, the previous ones ruined when Hector’s laughing motions had moved them (though he didn’t mind, Hector’s laugh was nice. He’d divide his hair up a thousand times just to hear it), “I’m trying to tell you that intimacy is not just about sex. There are other ways to be close to others, especially the ones you love.”

Hector tensed, wrestling with his thoughts, “But-”

“But nothing,” he said as he put the comb down, “She has hurt you, yes, but she has not broken you Hector. You will only become broken if you force yourself to do what you are not ready for, like glass under the weight of a bull.”

“Still…” he argued, even though he had no words to argue with.

Isaac took the sections in hand, weaving them together, “Do not feel like you have to prove yourself to me Hector, especially when your pain was by no fault of your own. Perhaps someday you will be able to do it again without the anguish she has caused you, until that day I have about a thousand other ways to be intimate with you.” he tied off the end with a string of leather, pausing to admire his work, “There we are.”

Hector raised a hand to feel behind his head, fingers lightly touching the braid as if scared to undo it. He turned back around, tears running down his cheeks once more. This time, there was a smile accompanying them, “How do I look?”

“Beautiful,” he said as he pressed a kiss to his cheek, “You’re always beautiful to me.”

Hector chuckled, moving forward and pressing himself against his chest. Isaac wrapped one arm around him as he moved to lie down, grabbing and pulling the blankets over them.

“Isaac…?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you,” he sighs happily, “Thank you for being intimate with me.”

“Any time.” he smiled, holding him close as they drifted off sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Lavender. 

That’s what Hector smells like, the one smell that clings to him despite the fact he works with countless other herbs. Light and calming. 

Isaac breathes it in deeply as wakes from sleep, opening his eyes to the sight of his lover’s face. Hector is still asleep, snoring softly. His braid had come fairly loose in his sleep, strands of hair sticking out every which way with one glued to the corner of his mouth by drool. Isaac carefully brushed the lock of silver hair behind his ear carefully, smiling as Hector’s eyelid fluttered lightly at the touch. He watched him sleep for a few more moments, before carefully getting up, grabbing his clothes from his bag and throwing them on. He left a note next to their makeshift bed before he went out the door and closed it quietly behind himself.

The memories of last night played over and over again in his head. Had he missed signs of Hector not wanting to do it before he broke down? Had he unknowingly pressured him in some way?

Of course, the simplest explanation was usually the easiest one. Hector _had_ wanted it, but was unable to do so. It was nobody’s fault but _hers_. 

Isaac sighed and shook his head, halting the thought in its tracks. He wasn’t going to let his morning get off to a bad start. 

He walked over to the wagon they had been using for travel, pulling a key from his pocket and opening the small chest containing their coins. He took a handful and counted it out twice just to make sure it was enough, dropping them into his coin pouch and grabbing a basket before heading on his way.

* * *

Hector’s eyes flew open in surprise as he turned over, expecting to cuddle closer to his lover only to feel no one there.

He shot straight up, searching the room for any sign of Isaac when his eyes found a small piece of paper with familiar handwriting next to their next of blankets.

_Went to the market for food, will return soon. Don’t burn the house down while I’m out._

_Love, Isaac_

Hector chuckled at the note, at the little bit of dark humor poking fun at his past. It had become sort of an inside joke between them, the same way Hector would point as random people and ask ‘think they’d be good for your army?’ while they traveled.

Taking another moment to stretch and wake up, Hector grabbed his shirt and threw it over himself as he got up and searched the cabinets for plates. 

The storm had caught them both by surprise last night, but fortunately they found an abandoned cabin and made do. Hector had started a fire, then they both stripped themselves of their wet clothes before…

Hector sighed as he recalled his breakdown, holding his head in his hands. 

He had never shared details of his imprisonment, and Isaac never asked for them. Truth be told, he didn’t even remember the details all that well. It was strange, because he remembered having a sort of schedule and knowing he expected things and that things were expected of him, but once he got his freedom his mind had locked away the details. 

But unfortunately, there were so many triggers that would send him into panic attacks without any warning. A black dress displayed in a ship window that looked just the tiniest alike to hers sent him into tears, the idea of wearing a ring ever again made him sick to his stomach, and someone calling their dog a ‘good boy’ made him want to go back to the wagon and cover himself with blankets and tarps. And that was only naming the obvious triggers.

But Isaac was nothing like her, his touch was warm and human unlike her cold, calculating hands. His voice was deep, like the soothing 

And yet when he had looked down at his lover, all that flashed through his mind was her face, cheekily smiling up at him as excruciating pain shot up his hand and took hold of every nerve in his body.

He grabbed a jar and went out to the back garden, where wild plants had suffocated whatever the previous owners had tended to. He stops in front of a patch of wild strawberries, plucking them off of their vines and dropping them a few at a time into the glass container, trying to ignore the tears running down his cheeks.

* * *

There was the scent of pastries and roasted meat filling the air. Smoke billowed from chimneys as the oven fires were stoked and fielded with freshly chopped wood. Isaac walked down the street, observing several displays of freshly cooked goods set out to tempt potential customers. 

He stopped in front of a stall selling meat pies and sweet rolls, waving over the owner, “Are these pork?”

“Beef.” he replied.

“I’ll take four, and a roll please.” he said as he took his coin purse from his pocket. Two for each, and a pastry to brighten up his lover’s morning. He felt like Hector was going to need all the brightening up he could get.

Isaac knew better than anyone else that trauma was not a pleasant thing to face. It was nasty and painful, like a festering wound. It was easier to tend to a wound on the outside than ones on the inside. Of course, Isaac wouldn’t say he was an expert on overcoming mental anguish, but he at least knew where Hector was coming from… or, maybe he just thought he did?

It was so damn frustrating. Not his lover, of course, Isaac could never be anything more than slightly annoyed by him on the worst days, but the entire mess that had occured before that. Logically, he knew he couldn’t hover over him, that he couldn’t shoo those bad thoughts away.

There had to be something, something else that could help bring a sense of calm and stability.

“That will be fourteen coins please.” the cook said, tearing Isaac from his thoughts.

* * *

He was torn from his thoughts when he heard a twitter from above, and looked up to see a small bee-eater, singing its song loudly for a potential love to hear. He smiled, admiring it’s bright colors for a moment before whistling its tune back to it. The bird looked down at him, tilting its head at him before quickly flying off to find a new stage. Hector chuckled, making a mental note that he’d have to tell Isaac about the encounter later. Talking about local fauna was a way to pass time and make conversation. Sometimes he wondered if Isaac really was as clueless about wildlife as he seemed, or whether it was so he could listen to him rattle off a list of everything he knew about said animal. He was the only person he’d ever met who didn’t seem annoyed by his ramblings, and was admittedly hesitant at first to share what he knew. But after he saw Isaac listen to him with interest instead of boredom he would go on for as long as he could.

Then it suddenly clicks.

There were things she hadn’t ruined, things not sullied by her. The little moments he and Isaac shared were unmarked, things that were out of reach of the poison she had fed him.

Isaac was right. He wasn’t broken.

He still had animal facts to share, inside jokes to laugh about, little gestures like hair-braiding to receive and cherish. He looked down at his hand, at the scar her ring had left in his flesh. But now that he looked at it, he thought less of the day he was trapped and thought more of the time Isaac had spent helping him clean and wrap the wound, trying to find oils and salves that would help the mark fade as it healed.

The memories were still there, the pain she had inflicted still causing aches in both mind and body… yet slowly but surely, like the scar, it was fading. Which meant maybe one day, he could finally show Isaac his love in the way he had wanted to the night before.

Until then, he had other ways to show him.

* * *

Isaac wracks his brain for a solution the entire walk back. As he reaches the edge of town, he notices a crate had been placed in front of one of the homes. A closer look revealed a litter of hound puppies, all yipping and jumping about excitedly at the new face. The dog sitting next to the man on the front porch was the mother, if he had to guess.

There was one in particular that caught his attention, a tiny little pup that was white with tan spots. It kept getting knocked back by the others, too weak and small to throw its weight around.

“Ah, you interested in my dogs?” the man on the porch said, “The ma and pa are the best hunting dogs this side of the country, I’d stake my life on it.”

Isaac hummed in thought, “How much for this one?” he asked, picking up the runt.

“That one?” the man chuckled, “Nah, you don’t want that one, he ain’t a strong one. The other ones I guarantee are much more-”

“ _I said_ ,” he interrupted, voice laced with impatience, “How much for this one?”

* * *

“I’m home!” he heard Isaac call as the front door opened.

Hector quickly abandoned his little project and ran into the other room, finding his lover struggling to balance the basket and the food in his arms.

“Isaac!” he gasped as he caught a meat pie before it fell, taking the food and bringing it over to the table quickly, “Why didn’t you use the basket? Is there a hole?”

“It was full.” he said plainly. Hector paused, looking at him in confusion.

“Full?” he echoed, “Full of what?”

Isaac smiled and flipped open the lid, revealing the little puppy as it poked its head out and sniffed the air.

Hector’s face immediately lit up as he took the tiny thing into his hands, smiling brightly as he brought it to his face, “Oh my god! Hello, precious!” he all but squealed as she licked his nose.

“I found her on the way back home,” he said as he put the basket aside, “I know you said you missed having pets, so I took the opportunity.”

“Oh Isaac,” he smiled as he kneeled and placed her down, petting her gently, “She’s perfect.”

“What will you call her?” he asked as he sat down at the kitchen table’s bench. Almost immediately she trotted over and sat on top of his foot, peering up beggingly. He obliged and scratched behind her ears.

Hector watched her thoughtfully, “How about… Precious?”

Isaac chuckled, “A fitting name.” he said as he picked her up and placed her on his lap, looking rather amused as she teethed his hand.

“Oh, by the way!” Hector exclaimed as he rose to his feet, “I have a gift for you too!”

“For me?” Isaac blinked, but by then he had already left the room. He exchanged a confused glance with Precious, shrugging.

A moment later Hector returned with his hands behind his back as he walked over, “I know you don’t have hair I can braid,” he began, “But I hope this means all the same to you.” 

He finally presented the surprise, a simple flower crown made from the wild daisies surrounding the cottage, stems carefully weaved and tied together.

Isaac smiled, “I’m touched.” he says as he bowed his head, letting Hector crown him with the ring of flora, “How do I look?”

“Fit for a prince.” he chuckled as he sat next to him, “I love you.”

Isaac hummed, “Love you more.”

Hector snorted, then sighed happily and laid his head on his shoulder. Perhaps next time, they would begin with hands before attempting to go any further. For now though, they had this moment to be present in. As they watched their new pet settle down between them, Hector shut his eyes and breathed deeply.

Isaac smelled like old books and cedar wood. Earthy and grounding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another one for all you lovelies!! I'm so happy that other people agree trauma recovery/aftermath is something needing more discussion, so here's more!!  
> Love y'all 💙💙💙

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah... having one positive sexual experience after a traumatic one doesn't really erase the trauma. Recovery can take a long time, it can be a long time before you're okay doing it again and that's okay.  
> Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk.


End file.
